Essilor acquires lenses manufacturer Bnl

Essilor announced today it has acquired Bnl, a leading manufacturer of premium polycarbonate sunglass lenses. Located in Bellegarde, in east central France, Bnl manufactures tinted, polarized non-prescription sunglass lenses. A highly innovative company, it has 60 employees and reported 2002 sales of euro 11 million, of which two-thirds were generated outside France.

Bnl sells its products to most global eyewear manufacturers. Prior to the acquisition, Essilor produced corrective sunglass lenses but was only a minor player in the non-prescription segment. With Bnl, Essilor will significantly strengthen its presence in the non-prescription segment. Bnl's technology will also benefit Essilor's corrective sunglass lens business.

Bnl will continue to operate as an independent unit and retain the current management team.